Coat winners
Above, from left; American Retro; Jaeger; Marks & Spencer
It’s that time of year when the coat conundrum rears its ugly head again. Here’s our edit of the top three throw-ons. First up, the superbright shearling (£1,575, by American Retro; brownsfashion.com). It’s the high-fashion choice of the season, thanks to Mrs Prada. Yes, it costs a few bob, but it will age beautifully. Second, let’s hear it for Jaeger. This quintessentially British brand has reinvented itself and become the top choice at the higher end of the high street. This coat (£599) is dramatic and cuts an elegant line, and those big gold buttons say, “Look at me.” Finally, the Autograph waterfall coat at M&S (£139) is super-forgiving and the perfect foil for every colour.
Knit the big time
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Above, clockwise from left: sweater, £46, skirt, £60, and ski pants, £20, from Zara. Roll-neck, £135, by John Smedley. Zip-back sweater, £89, from Jigsaw. Wool jumper, £485, by No 21; matchesfashion.com.
The stock of the humble jumper is on the rise. Buy the right one this season and it will return your investment. The polo neck is a styling staple — worn underneath a smart cotton shirt, it will warm up workwear. Then there’s the zip-back boat neck — wear it with weekend denim and lace-up flats. The fashion choice is the textured pink knit — both comfy and cool. Team it with a high-waisted A-line skirt, à la Louis Vuitton. Cuddly, cute and cutting edge.
Get your float on
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Above, clockwise from left: dress, £329, and brogues, £179; hobbs.co.uk. Coat, £225, from Cos. Hat, £69, from Reiss. Choker, £8; asos.com. Mules, £50, from River Island.
Ta-dah! Ladies, meet the most desirable dress of the season — a pretty frock that’s floaty and sexy and works for all shapes and sizes. It’s versatile — think of it as a foundation piece to build your wardrobe around — and chimes perfectly with the best bits of the new season: the knee-high boots and the camel coat. Buy all three and wear together. It’s not vintage, but it has that timeless-fashion thing going on. Wear it with stacked mules and a choker to sex it up, a fedora, tall boots and a brief bag for the office, or go grunge with a long, thick knit, land-girl-style flat boots and woolly tights. She’s yours — not for now, but for always.
Seventh heaven
Want to look the part, but don’t know where to start? Flossie Saunders reveals your seven-piece autumn capsule wardrobe
It's a pile-up
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Necklaces, above from top right: multicoloured resin necklace, £220, West African resin disc necklace, £220, and dyed sea bamboo coral chunky necklace, £145; pebblelondon.com
Let’s hail the return of the necklace jangle. You know, stacking them so liberally that they actually clank.For guidance on how to do it, look to the queen of accoutrements, Loulou de la Falaise. Because it’s time to lose the fear of people hearing you coming — this is the season of the necklace pile-up. Let Loulou be your inspiration: she was the muse of Yves Saint Laurent, after all. Now go forth and layer.
Edwina Ings-Chambers
Tank girls
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Above from left: Elie Saab AW14. Right: OPI Green on the Runway, £12; johnlewis.com. Maybelline Color Show Crystallize in Red Excess, £4; boots.com
Grease wasn’t restricted to the hairline on the autumn catwalks, as petrol nails revved their way to the manicure top spot. If it wasn’t a leather top coat, then it was an oil slick in shades of shimmering green, metallic indigo and jet. The shape? Nail techs took it up a gear to a full-throttle squoval — some were even loaded with pewter glitter pieces in a half-moon at the cuticle.